Top 10 Mad Scientist Fails

Not every mad scientist dies screaming in the clutches of his own vengeful creation. Some, like professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, live well past the ripe old age of 160 and right into obscurity.

Yep, Farnsworth continues to cheat death at every turn and even manages to save the world and/or universe from time to time. On two separate occasions, he actually prevented intergalactic destruction with doomsday devices of his own design (arguably using them wrong in the process).

Yet despite his vast arsenal of destruction and decades of research experience, Farnsworth has made the mistake of growing old. Now he dawdles away amid Smelloscopes, Fing-Longers and countless other useless inventions. He is not feared by the public and, even worse, he is frequently unclothed.

The lesson: Be audacious, would-be mads! If you're too careful, you'll dodge not only fates worse than death and the clutches of justice, but also the very personal glory and world domination you sought to begin with. Go out with a bang, not a whimper!

Further study: You'll find Farnsworth in every episode of the animated series "Futurama."